The BONBSM-153H is a 15″ monitor I purchased in Dec. of 2013. I love the size, just right for my Jib and its Super bright when I need it to be. It’s jam packed with features I may never use and discovered some that are now VERY useful.

I purchased mine through Nebtek out of Salt Lake City Utah (Talk to Trish) they were right on it and have offered great post sales support. I also talked with the LA rep. Shane Harness, both gave me identical quotes, but went with Trish primarily because I live in CA I could save the CA sales tax, sorry Shane …and CA.

I love that this monitor has just about every input I need. SDI for multiple video feeds, Component(for my old HVX), HDMI (for my 5D), DVI (for my computer) and composite (for old time sake).

BON claims that the screen is 1500cd/m², I don’t know what that means, but all I know is that I can see my picture perfectly, even with the sun shining directly on it. It has two other brightness presets, one for indoor and two others for High Bright outdoors.

A caution for using the monitor in the High Bright (Outdoor) mode: When you are using the monitor for the DP to look at exposure etc., be sure you’re in the indoor mode. In outdoor mode, you’ll think you’re overexposed. We made this mistake right off the bat when setting the exposure from this monitor (too our eye) then looking at the waveform to discover we were indeed under exposed. We only use the daylight mode when used for framing and not picture.

Though some DP’s may feel that other monitors are better suited for “Video Village” picture accuracy, I find my monitor to be pretty good. I use mine as the second “program” monitor with my Mac Pro (FCP 7) and feel my results are real world.

All in all, this monitor met all my expectations and then some. One of the bonus features is it has is GPI (General Purpose Interface) trigger control menus. What this means is I can set monitor functions (i.e. Tally, Input, Focus Assist, Under/Over scan, Markers Etc.) to be changed by a remote trigger or button. There are Five GPI controls in the menu you can assign to just about any monitor function.

So, I built a box that Velcro’s to my jib, using a short Cat 5 cable, it is connected to my Monitor. I found a Photoelectric Switch Sensor Relay Module on amazon for $7 (Seven Dollars) and I can tape the Photo Cell to the camera’s tally light, assigned one of the GPI menus to trigger tally and bingo my tally indicator shows on the screen.

Then I wired four momentary buttons into my Jib’s Zoom controller and assigned each button a GPI function. I now can toggle on & off the Focus assist when I need it (it can be really distracting always on), I can switch from one SDI input to another (for checking the “Program” feed from the truck), or whatever I may need without having to reach up to the monitor, it’s right there with my zoom functions. And, the whole remote box only cost me about $150 and about three days of soldering.

This monitor, for me, is what I’ve always needed. The price is right, inputs everything I need, has functions that are useful and can be controlled remotely; I recommend this monitor.

BTW: The remote/tally project was not rocket science and I will share my hand drawn schematic/notes on request. I am not interested in building another, as the time involved would make for an expensive little box; that said I can be bought.